Spurness 2025 – dig diary day five
The covers are off and the archaeology continues to perplex!
Spurness 2025 – dig diary day four
The bulk of the infill at the western end of the Bronze Age structure is now gone – ready for the covers to come off tomorrow.
Spurness 2025 – dig diary day three
Full steam ahead – deturfing and cleaning continued but the southern wall has emerged.
Spurness 2025 – dig diary day two
Thwarted by Storm Floris! Although the weather saw digging cancelled, there was a chance to see some Sanday archaeology up close.
Spurness 2025 – dig diary day one
Day one of our excavation in Sanday – and it was a day of deturfing and cleaning.
3D model of the Spurness prehistoric structures
A 3d model from Dr Hugo Anderson-Whymark showing the Bronze Age structures in Spurness, Sanday, under excavation in 2018.
Back to Sanday to investigate the Neolithic-Bronze Age transition
A team from the UHI Archaeology Institute is back in Sanday to continue excavating a Neolithic/Bronze Age site.
Undergraduate archaeology places available through UCAS clearing
UHI Archaeology Institute is offering places to study on the Archaeology BA (Hons), Archaeology Joint Honours BA (Hons), Archaeological Sciences BSc (Hons) and Archaeological and Environmental Sciences BSc (Hons) through UCAS Clearing 2025.
Dig diary – spectacular carved head found in week two at Skaill farm
An unexpected and spectacular find – a carved sandstone head.
Link: MRes student researching Neolithic food preparation within Ness complex
Gianluca Marzagalli, from Italy, is undertaking a Masters by Research (MRes) at the UHI Archaeology Institute, looking at Structure Twelve’s animal remains in relation to the preparation of food.
The Cairns dig diary – wrapping up the 2025 season
The excavations at The Cairns have now come to an end for this year. With the site safely covered up, it’s time for site director Martin Carruthers to sum up…
New ‘year in industry’ archaeology degrees are a first for Scotland
We’re delighted to announce the addition of two new “sandwich” undergraduate degrees to our portfolio – the first and only two of their kind in Scotland.
September date for the inaugural Orkney Archaeology Festival
Orkney’s first archaeology festival will run from September 11-14.
The Cairns dig diary – day 29
As the site is covered over for another year, finds supervisor Kev looks back on the 2025 season.
Dig diary – ‘Memento mori’ fragment unearthed in week one at Skaill farm
A round-up of the first week of excavations at Skaill, Rousay, from Dan Lee.
The Cairns dig diary – day 28
The last day of excavation before the site is covered up for the penultimate time.
The Cairns dig diary – day 27
A gallery of aerial shots showing excavation site today.
‘Digging the Bigger Picture’ – two-day art and archaeology symposium
Dr Antonia Thomas is a keynote speaker at a two-day art and archaeology symposium at the end of the month.